MASSIVE COMMUNITY PROTEST AT SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR MARIO WOODS

December 18, 2015 (San Francisco) – Hundreds of youth, families, community and religious leaders throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area will hold a massive rally on the steps of 850 Bryant Street in San Francisco to demand justice for the murder of Mario Woods by San Francisco Police officers. After the rally, the group will march to the offices of District Attorney, George Gascón to demand justice for Mario Woods.

In a Times.com article, John Burris, attorney for the Woods family states, “our view is that this was a person who was shot multiple times at a time when he did not put officers’ lives in imminent danger.” Attorney Burris goes on to mention that the San Francisco Police Department broadly exhibits a “continuing pattern and practice of misconduct.” Other witnesses claim police shot Mario Woods (+20) times.

The national trend of police abuse is all the more troubling in the City of San Francisco as the African American makes up 3% of the population, but continues to be disproportionately impacted by police murders and abuse.

The Justice for Mario Coalition is made up of concerned residents of San Francisco, advocates, leaders and community organizers who want to stop the trend of violence experienced by the black community in San Francisco at the hands of the police. The coalition demands are:

• The immediate removal of Police Chief Gregory Suhr
• Officers be charged with the murder of Mario Woods

Where: Hall of Justice, 850 Bryant Street, San Francisco
When: December 18, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.
Who: Hundreds of community members
What: The San Francisco and Bay Area community demand justice for the execution of Mario Woods who was killed by a firing squad.

I’m not sure just how serious this woman was. Maybe this was a Truth or Dare situation…

Anyway, here she is, walking down Polk in the 94109, in the part of town I call the Tenderloin, to the contrary of Randy Shaw, an aging white male lawyer who lives in a mansion in the East Bay Hills and who, for some reason, gets eight figures a year from _San Francisco_ taxpayers to basically run the Tenderloin – it’s amazing.*

“Sue Ellen Mischke is Elaine‘s nemesis whom she calls the “bra-less wonder.” Sue Ellen is the heiress to the Oh Henry! candy bar fortune, and has known Elaine since they attended high school together in Maryland. Sue Ellen is portrayed by Brenda Strong.

“In “The Caddy“, Elaine is so incensed that Sue Ellen doesn’t wear a bra that she gives her a bra as a gift, which Sue Ellen then promptly wears as a top. This causes Kramer to crash George‘s car when he and Jerry see her walking in her bra down the street. Kramer calls upon Jackie Chiles to help sue. Despite the suit, Jerry falls for her when she comes in his apartment. The courtroom scene that follows is a broad and obvious allusion to the O.J. Simpson trial, which ends when she tries the bra on, which does not fit.”

Bonus:

“In the pilot for Happy Days, there is a character mentioned named Sue Ellen Mischke. It is unknown if this name is a reference or just coincidence.”

Apply today. (Please note that this job expires by the end of the year, if not sooner. And leave your TASER at home.)

And you’ll get a driver and everything. Hey, maybe they’ll even let you use the old hybrid Ford Expedition that the old Mayor loved so. (It’s the same one that our current Mayor rejected – he thinks it’s a big piece of crap, srsly.)

The mise-en-scene, complete with the two other top lawyers of official San Francisco, Dennis Herrera and Jeff Adachi, along with new Supervisors Scott Wiener,* Malia Cohen,* (icy, icy cold**) Mark Farrell,* and Jane Kim,* plus tried-and-true Supes President David Chiu and Bevan Dufty, and plus, George’s foxy blonde wife Fabiola:

“Herrera praises Gascón as a ‘stellar choice’ for District Attorney of San Francisco. City Attorney had hailed SFPD Chief as key to civil gang injunctions’ success, is certain he’ll be a continuing ally as District Attorney

SAN FRANCISCO (Jan. 9, 2011) — City Attorney Dennis Herrera today praised Mayor Gavin Newsom’s appointment of Police Chief George Gascón as District Attorney to fulfill the unexpired term of Kamala Harris, who recently vacated the office to become California’s Attorney General.

Reacting to this afternoon’s announcement in City Hall, Herrera issued the following statement:

“Police Chief George Gascón is a stellar choice for District Attorney of San Francisco. I’ve repeatedly credited his leadership as key to making our civil gang injunction program a success. I couldn’t hope for a better ally to continue Kamala Harris’s record in aggressively prosecuting gang injunction cases. I know Mayor Newsom had a very tough decision to make among a number of excellent potential successors, and he has made an experienced, top-notch pick. I look forward to working closely with our new District Attorney in the months and years to come.”

Last September, Herrera’s motion for an injunction against two warring criminal street gangs in Visitacion Valley was granted by a San Francisco Superior Court judge. The new injunction against the Down Below Gangsters and Towerside Gang represented the City’s fourth civil gang injunction, which now involve seven different criminal street gangs. Herrera’s office has worked closely with police, to compile the exhaustive evidence necessary to obtain gang injunctions, and the District Attorney’s Office, which prosecutes violations of them. Prior to the Visitacion Valley injunction in September, Herrera had secured injunctions against the Bayview Hunters Point-based Oakdale Mob in October 2006; the Mission-based Norteño gang in 2007; and the Western Addition-based Chopper City, Eddy Rock and Knock Out Posse gangs in 2007. In 2009, Herrera moved successfully to modify the Oakdale Mob injunction to add six new adult gang members to that injunction’s provisions. In all, 134 adult gang members are currently subject to San Francisco’s four injunctions. No juveniles are named in any of San Francisco’s civil gang injunctions.”

“MAYOR NEWSOM APPOINTS GEORGE GASCÓN AS DISTRICT ATTORNEY

San Francisco, CA—Mayor Gavin Newsom today appointed Police Chief George Gascón as San Francisco’s District Attorney.

“As Police Chief, George Gascón has brought continued reform and accountability to the police department, introduced innovative crime prevention strategies and helped bring violent crime in our City to historic lows,” said Mayor Newsom. “I am very proud today to appoint George Gascón as our City’s top law enforcement officer to complete the term of Kamala Harris and bring that same spirit of accountability, innovation and collaboration to the District Attorney’s office.”

“I am profoundly honored by this opportunity to serve the people of San Francisco as District Attorney,” said District Attorney Gascón. “Together, with the hardworking attorneys and professional staff of the District Attorney’s office, we will bring criminals to justice, continue the innovative efforts begun under Kamala Harris and ensure new levels of cooperation between police and prosecutors.”

Appointed as Chief of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) by Mayor Newsom in 2009, Gascón also holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Western State University College of Law and has been an active member of the California Bar Association since June 1996. Gascón also graduated from the FBI’s National Executive Institute, and is a member of the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government’s Executive Session on Policing and Public Safety. Gascón will be San Francisco’s first Latino District Attorney in history.

During Gascón’s tenure as Police Chief, violent crime in San Francisco has dropped to historic lows not seen since the 1960s through the strategic deployment of law enforcement resources, reform and accountability within the SFPD and increased collaboration with the City’s diverse communities to prevent crime. SFPD Assistant Chief Jeff Godown will serve as Acting Chief of Police until a new Chief is selected by the Police Commission and the interim mayor.

Gascón was appointed to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in April 1978. He served as an officer until 1981, when he left to pursue a career in business management while volunteering his time as a reserve officer. Gascón returned to law enforcement full-time in April 1987, and quickly moved through the LAPD ranks gaining experience in a variety of operational and management functions. Gascón served as LAPD’s Assistant Police Chief and Director over the Office of Operations in charge of patrol, detectives, aviation, special operations, and jails. For three years, Gascón was the Chief of Police for the Mesa Police Department in Arizona.

Gascón is a subject matter expert in the areas of police accountability, community policing, police training, hiring practices, management, policing immigrant communities, and use of force. He has published articles on police training, the role of local police and unauthorized immigration, COMPSTAT, and the economic cost of policing.

As San Francisco District Attorney, Gascón will be responsible for investigating and prosecuting crime in San Francisco and supporting victims of crime. With four major divisions – the Criminal Division, the Investigations Bureau, the Special Operations Division, and the Victim Services Division, the District Attorney’s Office brings actions involving consumer fraud, including real estate fraud, insurance fraud and financial fraud against elders, and actions to ensure environmental protection.”

*Wow, s/he’s intelligent. Throw in Carmen Chu* and you’ve got, by far, the most intelligentest incoming San Francisco Board of Supervisors class in 155 years or so of history. The Boardwalk Empire-types have lost and the professionals have won.

**What makes Mark Farrell a Democrat? I don’t know.*** I know what makes the others Democrats, but not him. And just how will he be able to afford to live on a five-figure salary? Once again, I don’t know. We’ll see.

****And BTW, did anybody else call Districts 2 and 10 the day after the election. Believe it or not, no. Last summer I was thinking the punditry was seriously underestimating both these two and, I’ve got to say, that turned out to be correct, non?

(Hey, does Willie have a heretofore unknown skin condition or something?)

Wonder if this is a one-time deal or a permanent, Mr. Gorbachev-tear-down-this-wall! kind of deal. You could say that these particular columns this week might lose their effectiveness while waiting to get published but that’s true pretty much all of the time anyway, right?

“Willie Brown has named 4 or 5 people as the “next San Francisco mayor” over the past several months–and none of them were Ed Lee. Yet today Willie writes a self-congratulory column boasting Ed Lee was “noted here 1st”! Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Willie. The truth is Willie wrote his prediction AFTER word had already started circulating thru San Francisco on local radio and other non-newspaper outlets about Ed Lee as next mayor.”

Anyway, the other news of the day is that frustrated San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon is a fully-licensed California attorney eligible to become our next District Attorney. Did not know that. (See below.) Thanks, M&R!

It might be a little rainy this Saturday, but the forecast for 6:00 PM is actually pretty positive so get on out there why not.

Sean Penn making that Milk movie, back in aught-eight:

Click to epand

“The Annual Milk-Moscone Memorial March will take place this Saturday, November 27, 2010. The vigil will take place on the anniversary of the assassination of Harvey Milk and George Moscone, starting at 6pm. The vigil will last approximatly 1 hour and the march will begin at the Castro Muni station (Castro & Market Streets) at 6:45 PM.

The March commemorates the assassination of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone and is an opportunity for the community to mourn the loss of two of our city’s most progressive elected officials, reflect on their visions for San Francisco, and learn more about their lives through testimony from family and friends of Harvey. The event has been a community tradition annually since the assassinations. The speakers will be:

Cleve Jones, Founder, Names Project, and friend of Harvey

Harry Britt, former Supervisor, and friend of Harvey

David Campos, SF Supervisor

Carol Migden, former State Senator

Tom Ammiano, State Assembly member

The Milk Memorial Education Committee was founded in 2004 to plan for and install the bust of Harvey in San Francisco City Hall. The bust was installed in May 2008. The Committee is now engaged in educational programs at the SF Unifed School district and City College of San Francisco, on behalf of LGBTQ students. For more information see MilkMemorial.org or Rick Hauptman at 415-678-8919.

[The Uptown Almanac draws attention to another Gascon video from the same outfit. Is there some volume mixer setting that would render that English-language YouTube video auditorialy legible? And could somebody point me to an event some time in history where David Perry & Associates took our government money and didn’t do a half-assed job?]

First thing you do is check out Home for Halloween 2010 – it’s the biggest POS website that nobody looks at AND it’s one that we paid for.

Now, how much did we pay for it? I don’t know. It could be $10k, $20k, $30k, or $40k – the sky’s the limit. But it’s just like something your kid sister could whip up in an evening free of charge while she’s watching the Glee.

Now, how many people actually look at the Home for Halloween website? Well, You Make The Call – the latest numbers are something like a dismal eight visitors (including a fair share of GoogleBots) a day.

You’d think that it would be a lot cheaper to reach a lot more people if the City just placed a simple banner ad on one of the big local sites like SFist or Curbed SF, but you’d be wrong.

Now, here’s where your money goes, into videos with zero production values. Then they get posted on the YouTube, where they get roundly ignored. For example, here’s George Gascon speed reading Spanish muy rapido with his eyes darting back and forth like the methiest of meth heads. It’s mesmerizing in full-screen even if you don’t habla Espanol.

Now, I saw him at the Costco once and he’s not like this at all in real life. Of course he’s a good sport, but how effective is this effort if NO SPANISH SPEAKERS WATCHED IT SINCE IT WAS UPLOADED TWO WEEKS AGO? It’s getting a grand total of one-third of a viewer per day.